


Painting Faces

by AciidHeart



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Alternate Universe, Background BattleBang, Background Relationships, Best Friends, Friendship, Gen, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 16:18:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15489810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AciidHeart/pseuds/AciidHeart
Summary: Arin Hanson is a small-time illustrator who's recently fallen into a rut- drawing comic strips for the newspaper, taking sparse amounts of portrait commissions, and only occasionally leaving his apartment to ensure he didn't become a total recluse just isn't cutting it anymore.Sometimes the best fix is getting out and spending more time with your friends. Sometimes a new opportunity arises in the midst of it all.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> What is UP y'all I'm here with a project that's a little different from my usual shtick- I've been Suffering (aka having Fun) with the Game Grumps Big Bang this year! Hope y'all like this, since I spent a lot of time on it and had fun with how it turned out!

“Come on, man,” Arin grumbles. “I’ve been erasing your arm for fifteen minutes already. Look… better. Please." The drawing can’t respond, of course, but it makes for a good mockery of a conversation to help Arin continue trudging along. He’d been working on the portrait for what feels like _hours_ ; this piece just didn’t want to cooperate with him, for whatever reason. The drawing only continues to stare back at him mockingly, and with a harsh sigh Arin finally relents and tosses down his pencil. He runs his hands through his hair a few times before standing up and stretching with a groan.

“Okay, I’m done with you for now.” Arin spares a quick glance around at his apartment, now on the hunt for something else to do. Maybe some tidying up? A head start on dinner? Laundry? Arin sighs as he makes his way to the kitchen, pulling out a mug and kettle. Of _course_ there’s not much else to do- when you spend almost all of your time drawing, drawing, and drawing, there isn’t much room for anything else.

Arin takes a few minutes to check his phone as he waits for the water to boil- no new messages, a couple of spam emails- nothing out of the ordinary. He taps his foot a few times before meandering back into the living room to turn on some music. _Too quiet._

A soft guitar begins to make its way through the apartment, and Arin feels his shoulders drop from their tense position as he finally finds it in himself to relax a bit. Before he knows it the water is boiling, and he plops a tea bag into it so it can begin to steep. A bit of rummaging through the fridge rewards Arin by offering some leftover pasta, and he tosses it into the microwave as he hums along to the music.

This isn’t so bad. Arin’s calm. He’s relaxed. The leftovers are good, and the tea is good, and the music is nice. There’s a book on his coffee table, one that he’d been meaning to finish for awhile now. It’s nice.

It’s nice for about twenty minutes.

Arin is taken out of his stupor by a knock on his door, and he marks his place in his book before standing and stretching with a groan. A quick once-over confirms that there are no gross or obvious stains on his shirt, that the armpits aren’t soaked with sweat, and when he answers it he’s met with Suzy’s smiling face.

“Arin! Hey, are you busy tonight?” Suzy’s got a small purse under her arm, and her makeup is just as immaculate as ever. A welcome sight, after being cooped up in his apartment for so long without any Human Interaction. Arin gives her a quick hug before she’s stepping into his apartment and setting her purse onto the coffee table and making herself comfortable on the couch.

“You know I’m not,” Arin replies with a grin, and Suzy rolls her eyes.

“I don’t know why I even bothered to ask,” she teases. “I’m going out with Dan and Nate for dinner in a bit and came down here to invite you along! Think you’re up for it?”

“I dunno, Suze…” Arin spares a glance to his desk, and Suzy follows his line of sight as he gestures to it. “I was taking a quick break, but I’ve got a ton of work to do. I have to get all this stuff in by next week, and I’m already behind.”

“I can almost guarantee that you’re not running quite as far behind as you think you are,” Suzy retorts. She then seems to barely take notice of Arin’s attire- a wrinkled tee shirt and sweatpants- and tilts her head in his direction. “When was the last time you showered?”

Arin touches his hair with a frown, running a hand through it and noting that it feels… greasier than he thought. He grimaces. _Whoops_.

“Uh… a few days?” Suzy makes a face and crosses her arms disapprovingly.

“You need to go shower. _Now_.”

“Suze, I’m _fine_ -”

“Arin, you smell nasty as shit right now,” Suzy cuts him off, and Arin at least has it in him to be a bit embarrassed as his face heats up with a blush. “I know you’ve been working really hard lately, but staying cooped up like this is just going to make you feel worse the longer you go without any time outside.” Her arms uncross as she resettles them into her lap, and her expression softens in concern. Arin sighs as he plops down onto the couch beside her, rubbing a hand over his face.

“I know, I know,” he grouses. “It’s just… it’s so easy to forget to take care of myself when I get wrapped up in my work, y’know? It’s easier to put it off and just… do stuff.” Suzy nudges herself into Arin’s shoulder, and she offers a small smile.

“Such is the curse of being as crazy motivated as you are,” she says. “So, once you’re finished showering, are you gonna join us for dinner?” Arin mulls it over for a moment, glancing at his desk again to the unfinished drawing laying on it, almost taunting him. He stands back up from the couch abruptly with a determined clench of his jaw, and he whirls around to face Suzy.

“I just ate like twenty minutes ago but yes I guess I’ll join you guys for a night of camaraderie and delicious food!” Arin exclaims, and Suzy can’t help but laugh at the exaggerated guffaw of his voice. Arin can’t keep up the stony expression upon hearing her laugh, and his shoulders slump as he joins in. His whole body seems to relax at the feeling, and Arin is suddenly overwhelmed with just how grateful he is for Suzy’s existence in his life. It’s… a warm feeling. Comforting.

“Thanks, Suze,” he says softly. “I really appreciate you coming over to drag me out of here.”

“Well, someone had to do it,” she simply replies. “I’ll wait out here while you go make yourself nice and pretty.” Arin gives a thumbs up and begins making his way to the bathroom for his much needed shower as Suzy grabs the remote from the coffee table to turn off his music and put something on the TV.

\--/--/--

The slight sting of water that’s almost too cold- not quite, but _nearly_ there-  is refreshing.

It’s easy for Arin to let his mind wander when he steps into the shower- idle thoughts of nothing and everything all at once. He puts on some quiet music from his phone before shutting the curtain and sets to running his hands through his hair, to wet his hair and let the cool spray melt away the sweat and grease from the last few days. He’s always preferred colder showers; it wakes him up, leaves him feeling cool and calm and ready to take on the day.

...Maybe he should shower more consistently. He could do with being ready to take on the day more often.

Thoughts of taking on the day and productivity leads Arin’s thoughts to wander to… well, his life. Just about everything he’s been up to lately, the things leading up to where he is now.

It’s easy for his thoughts to wander, Arin finds. Easy for things to come and go just as fast as they came, racing with just about anything that came to mind. Having ADD just _does_ that to you, he supposes.

It’s not like Arin’s _unhappy_ with his life, per say- it’s just a little boring. Sure, he’s working with one of his passions, getting to draw for a living, but there’s only so much drawing he can do before he’s itching to do something _else_. Maybe write a bit, or dabble more into music. He’s still got that old guitar that his dad gave him laying around somewhere.

Nonetheless, it’s the mundane nature of his work that makes Arin restless before long. Of course, there are the days where he gets hit with a stroke of inspiration- those are the days where he works in a tireless frenzy, the kind that leads to him forgetting to eat and shower- but there just isn’t much to fill in the gaps in between those spurts of creativity.

Suzy’s there to help during most of these gaps- it’s like she has some sort of sixth sense and knows exactly when to check up on Arin and drag him out of his apartment to socialize. Those are the days where Arin finally feels _good_ about going outside, about getting back up and being a normal human being again. Most of the time Dan and Nate will join them, and every so often they’re joined by Barry and Brian, but Arin almost prefers the days when it’s just him and Suzy, or just him and Dan. There’s less pressure to be a stellar conversationalist that way- less pressure to be more than he’s capable of on those days.

And he loves spending time with his friends! It’s just… so _easy_ to get worn out after so many days of being comfortable in his self-imposed solitude.

It isn’t until he starts shivering that Arin realizes he’s still in the shower. Oh.

It doesn’t take long for him to grab a towel and dry himself off so he pick an outfit for dinner- he deems it worthy of putting on some jeans for- and make his way back into the living room. The smile that Suzy offers when she sees him is full of nothing but warmth, and she jumps from the couch with a spring in her step.

“There we go,” she chirps, “You look great! Ready to go?” Arin takes a moment to grab his wallet and keys from the coffee table, then nods.

“Yup, all set. Now let’s hit the road.”

\--/--/--

“So what’s this placed called again?” Arin resists the urge to glance over at Suzy in the passenger seat to get a peek at the navigator opened on her phone as he pulls out of the parking lot of the apartment complex, and Suzy shrugs.

“Something like _Star Ginger_ , I think. It’s a sushi place,” she replies.

“I’m getting more excited by the second,” Arin sighs dreamily as he taps on the steering wheel. “Why didn’t you open up with the sushi thing? I would’ve been out the door twenty minutes ago if I’d known that’s where you guys were planning on going.”

“I guess it slipped my mind. You’re gonna take a left at the next light,” Suzy says. She pats his arm with a smile. “Good to see that you’re already in a better mood, at least.”

“Okay, yeah, I admit it. You were right,” Arin rolls his eyes. “Getting rid of my horrible body odor to take a break from work and hang out with my friends was a good idea. Thank you again, oh great fairy godmother.”

“It’s my civic duty as your friend to make sure that you’re not rotting in your apartment because you keep forgetting to take breaks,” Suzy grins. “Oh shit, wait! I’m like your fairy friend mother!”

“Suze, you’re an absolute fucking genius,” Arin laughs. “Okay, where am I turning next?”

“Taking another left up ahead. And you shouldn’t have laughed that hard at fairy friend mother! That was such a sorry excuse for a joke and you know it.”

“Maybe so, but I know you were trying your best and wanted to reward you for your effort.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“No problem.”

\--/--/--

Arin’s immediately relieved to see his friends when him and Suzy spot and begin to approach them.

Dan and Nate are seated at a booth tucked away in the corner of the restaurant, pressed against each other on one side as they chat quietly. Arin notices that their hands are loosely linked together and resting on the table as they lean into each other, Nate grinning at something Dan is saying, and Arin’s heart swells with happiness at the sight. He knows what it’s like, how it feels- basking in the glow of finding someone that compliments you so well you’re almost in another world with just them. It doesn’t bother Arin very much that he’s been single for awhile now, though; he’s already found his own counterparts in Dan and Suzy, even if it’s only platonic.

It’s nice.

Arin makes a show of slamming his hands onto the table with an abrupt “ _HEY!”_ when they approach, and Dan has to stifle a startled shout as he jumps in his seat. He looks on the way to becoming vaguely annoyed until he gets a proper look up at Arin, and any anger that he might’ve begun to generate at the interruption of his conversation melts away immediately into a bright smile.

“Arin, hey! Glad that you could make it!” he exclaims as he slides out of the booth. He pulls Arin into a quick hug and claps a hand on his shoulder as he leans back to look into Arin’s face. “Please don’t ever scare the shit out of me like that again, though! I nearly toppled from the fucking booth.” Nate groans from his seat as Suzy slides in to give Dan a hug as well.

“I second that notion,” he says. “I don’t want to almost have a heart attack right before eating sushi.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Arin laughs easily. “I just saw that you two lovebirds were _not_ paying attention to anything else around you and figured that it was the perfect opportunity for some good old fashioned spookage.”

“Trust me, the spookage has been _more_ than achieved,” Dan exclaims as he sits back down, and Arin and Suzy move to join them at the booth. “If we had already gotten drinks, mine would’ve been on the fuckin’ floor.” Arin laughs again as he slides into the booth and makes room for Suzy to get comfortable herself.

“Lucky for all of us that didn’t happen, then,” he chuckles.

“Hey man, glad to see that Suzy was able to rescue you from the clutches of solitude and have you join us! It’s been awhile since we’ve seen you,” Nate says, and Arin hums in agreement.

“I’m glad too, honestly. I can only stand being a disgusting grease monster for so long before I need to get some fresh air.” Dan laughs as he reaches out to grab Nate’s hand.

“That’s the spirit!” He exclaims. Before they know it, a waiter is approaching their table with a friendly smile.

“Hey, there, guys! Everyone ready to start off with some drinks?” he asks as he places down menus in front of everyone. His eyes seem to linger on Arin just a moment longer than they do on everyone else… or maybe Arin’s just imagining things?

He shakes off the odd feeling as everyone orders their drinks, and the waiter smiles at everyone before he’s whirling away.

“So how’s that set of portrait commissions going so far?” Dan’s turned his attention back to Arin as he starts a new topic of conversation, and at the mention of his work he lets out a loud groan.

“ _Ugh_ , terrible,” Arin grouses. “I think I’m starting to hit another block. Nothing’s coming out the way I want it to.” Everyone at the table hums in understanding- when all of your friends are artists in some capacity, it’s easy to get understanding and sympathy for these kinds of spells.

“It’s good that you came out here to take a break, then,” Nate says. “I know I feel like I’m gonna go crazy if I try to force something while I’m going through art block.” Another quiet chorus of agreement and understanding around the table.

“Yeah, definitely,” Arin sighs. “I know I’m not necessarily _behind_ on any of it, but, like… I want to get it all done as soon as possible.”

“Shit’s tough,” Suzy agrees. “I know you can do it, though.”

“Aw, I’ve got the best motivational cheer squad a guy could ask for,” Arin wipes an imaginary tear from his eye, and Dan waves a dismissive hand as he scoffs.

“Yeah yeah, we’re in your corner and all that shit. Don’t get a big head about it.”

“What about you two? Got any tasty new jams for my ears to enjoy?” Arin asks. Nate and Dan both seem to brighten up at the same time, sitting up a little straighter in their seats and leaning forward, almost in perfect sync. Arin has to keep himself from laughing at the sight.

“Oh, you know it!” Nate exclaims. “Work’s been taking up most of my time lately, but I had the weekend to just get into the groove of things and get a bunch of stuff done. Getting ready to play a show in a couple of weeks as well.” He looks incredibly… _alive_ as he talks, and Dan mirrors the expression as he bounces excitedly in his seat.

“He doesn’t want to show off but he’s almost finished with his album too! It sounds fucking _awesome_ , Arin. You’re both gonna get your fuckin’ socks rocked off when it’s done.”

“Oooh, now I’m all excited. Save me a seat at your show? I’m going out to buy some bras so I can throw them on stage for you.” Arin says, and he can practically feel Suzy rolling her eyes from his side as Dan lets out an abrupt laugh.

“Front row seats, dude. Or, well, as front row as you can manage at a bar. It’s not a very big gig.” Nate shrugs.

“Gotta start somewhere, though. That’s how it always goes.” Dan points out. Nate turns to face Dan with an incredulous expression, and Arin decides to keep his smile to himself. _Here we go._

“I would _prefer_ it if I could start with more work in the studio, but _you_ and Brian have been hogging it lately.” Nate snarks, and Dan only looks a _little_ sheepish as he laughs again.

“Whatever happened to the whiteboard we put up to schedule studio time? You know, if you’d just snag some of the empty slots before they’re gone...”  
  
“Are you kidding me? I haven’t seen that thing in _weeks_. I think Brian took it down and hid it somewhere to see how long it would take for us to notice,” Nate says, exasperated.

“...Is it bad that I didn’t notice?” Dan looks a little guilty now, and both Arin and Suzy can’t quite keep their faces straight anymore.

“Yes. Yes it is.” Arin’s attention is drawn to movement out of the corner of his eye, and suddenly the waiter is back with a tray full of their drinks, still with that ever-present Customer Service smile. He idly wonders how tired the guy is.

“Alrighty guys, here you are,” the waiter chirps as he sets everyone’s drinks down. He holds the tray behind his back as he folds his hands and rocks on his heels. “Are you all ready to order?”

Everyone seems to realize at once that nobody had been looking at their menus, and Arin offers a sheepish smile to the waiter.

“If I’m gonna be honest with you, we’ve been terrible people and haven’t looked at the menu yet,” he apologizes. “We might need a few more minutes, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, no worries! More than willing to wait for you,” the waiter winks, and he throws a dainty little wave over his shoulder as he wanders off again. Nate shoots him an… Interesting look from across the table.

“Man, that waiter sure is friendly,” he says, and Arin hums in agreement as he picks up his menu and begins to scan the available options.

“Yeah, he seems a little off. No one ever sounds that genuine in customer service without looking like they want to die.”

The conversation seems to lull for a few moments as everyone looks over the menu, and then Dan is… smirking at Arin?

“Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?” Dan laughs a bit as he sets his menu down, and he takes a moment to sip from his drink.

“No, no, it’s not that. You seriously don’t know what’s “off” about the waiter?” he asks, and Arin shrugs dismissively.

“Not really, no. I’m not some kind of psychic like you are, apparently.” Dan only rolls his eyes, and then the waiter is appearing out of thin air _again_ , and Jesus _Christ,_ he needs to stop doing that.

“Alrighty, fellas, how are we doing over here?” He smiles at the table, and they all take a moment to order their food. Arin decides to wait to order last, still torn between two options that look equally appetizing. He apparently doesn’t hear the others giving their orders, because things fall quiet, and Arin realizes that he’s being addressed.

“And what can I get for you, handsome?” The waiter turns a surprisingly wide smile at Arin, and suddenly Arin can feel the eyes of everyone else at the table boring holes into him

“Oh, uh-” Arin feels his face flush as he stammers out his order, and the waiter fucking _winks_ at him before he’s whisking all of their menus away. It’s silent for a moment before Dan is whistling low and provocative with a wolfish grin.

“ _Dude_ , since when did you become such a twink magnet?” He laughs, and Arin’s face is flushing hotter than before.

“Oh my god, Dan, shut up. I’m not a fucking... _twink_ magnet!” He says, flustered. “Plus you didn’t even know what the fuck a twink _was_ until I told you about it!”

“Doesn’t change the fact that I’m right, though.” Dan points out, and Nate rolls his eyes. Arin doesn’t have to turn to look at Suzy to know that she’s doing the same thing.  

“Plus, have you _seen_ your fucking arms, dude? You could’ve snapped that waiter in half, easy. No wonder he was practically throwing himself across the table.” Nate adds, as if _that’s_ supposed to help anything. Arin groans.

“You guys are killing me, here. Can’t a man just have a nice, normal conversation with his friends while waiting for some sushi?” He takes care to avoid saying anything about the waiter in particular- it’s not that he _doesn’t_ find the guy attractive or anything. Quite the opposite, actually. The guy- Arin thinks his name tag might’ve read “Dean” or something- is just as much the twink as they were teasing Arin about, tall and slender with a sharp jaw and pretty blue eyes. He’s just… he’s not really looking into the dating scene, for the most part. It doesn’t really help that he’s a terrible flirt, and he wouldn’t want his friends to see him fail spectacularly at speaking just because a pretty boy tossed a few compliments his way.

Suzy seems to deliberate on his question for a moment, grin still plastered on her face.

“Apparently not.” She laughs. “Look at you go, though! Mr. Handsome Hanson over here stealing the hearts of twinks throughout all of LA!”

“Well, Dan?” Arin bats his eyes with a coquettish grin, and Dan is looking askance at Arin now.

“Well, what?”

“Have I stolen your heart yet, since I’m apparently I’m a massive twink magnet?”

“Oh, you know it. Please, Arin, crush me with those big strong muscles of yours.” Dan deadpans, and Nate and Suzy are almost immediately doubled over in laughter. Arin holds his hand out to Nate and makes a show of flipping his hair, ignoring the fact that his bangs fall in front of his eyes, which only makes Suzy laugh harder.

“What do you say, Nate? Wanna team up and make a Dan sandwich?” Nate attempts to stem his laughter as he takes Arin’s hand and gives it a firm shake.

“Please, yes. We can crush him together, like real bros do.” They nod at each other, as if a Very Serious Business Deal has just been made, and Dan covers his face with his hands with a loud groan.

“Please kill me already.”

The waiter does his little teleporting trick again and serves their meals, nearly scaring Arin half to death as he takes their drinks to refill them with a coquettish grin before whisking away again.

The food is good, and the easy banter is nice, and Arin is content. He… he really needed this. He nudges Suzy with his shoulder and gives her a small, grateful smile when she looks questioningly at him. It’s a silent exchange between the two, easy and natural after knowing each other for as long as they have.

_Thank you for this._

_Of course_.

When Arin gets home later that night, he’s comfortably full and feeling… refreshed. The social interaction had done wonders for him, and when he sits down at his desk and pulls the portrait towards him, that stubborn arm finally turns out looking alright.


	2. Chapter 2

Arin considers grabbing something for breakfast in the morning after waking up.

There’s plenty of food in the fridge, of course, but it’s just… one of Those Days, y’know? It’s been awhile since he’s treated himself, and as he’s brushing his teeth, the thought of going out is starting to sound more and more appealing. Just to get some fresh air, at least.

As if the universe had been reading his mind, not even ten minutes after getting dressed, Arin’s phone lights up with a call. He manages to suppress the urge to groan in exaggeration at the contact name before he answers it.

“Hello?”

“Good morning, my good sir!” Dan’s cheerful voice floats through from the other end of the line, and Arin’s immediately breaking into a smile.

“Why hello, my handsome boy! How are you doing on this fine day?” A light chuckle, and then the muffled sound of meowing and barking is drifting through the line, steadily growing louder as Dan laughs quietly.

“I’m doing alright! Getting up early is a bitch, and Jovi and Peanut like to scream when they want breakfast now, but otherwise the wee hours of the morning have been pretty cool so far. What about you?”

“Way better after dinner last week, to be honest. I’ve finished like three portraits already, and they don’t look half bad, if I do say so myself,” Arin replies, and Dan’s laugh is light and airy.

“Keep tooting your own horn there, why don’t ya. Lord knows your head is too small as it is.”

“I mean, if you _insist_ …”

“Oh my god, shut up. I didn’t call for you to use me as a wall to bounce your self-gloating off of.” Arin chuckles as he shakes his head, and he meanders into the living room to throw himself onto the couch.

“Okay, okay, I’ll bite. What _did_ you call for, then?”

“Nate and I are going out soon to that new coffee place that’s downtown, and I was wondering if you would be interested in joining us.”

“Ooh, an early morning outing? You sure I won’t be third wheeling?”

“Arin, if we somehow managed to make you feel like a third wheel after all this time of being friends, I’d be _very_ surprised.” Arin can practically feel Dan rolling his eyes, and he laughs.

“That’s fair. Let me know when you’re leaving so I can meet up with you?”

“Will do, Daddy-o!”

“Oh, so you’ll call _Arin_ Daddy, but not me?” Arin can hear Nate shouting from somewhere on the other end of the line, and Arin raises his eyebrows in mild surprise.

“Shut the fuck _up_ , Nate, oh my god!”

“Sounds like you’re a little busy now, so just text me,” Arin laughs. Dan grumbles out a quick goodbye, and Arin decides to lounge on the couch and idly scroll through Twitter to pass the time. It isn’t long before he gets a “ _Heading out now_ ” text along with an address, and Arin feels… excited as he starts up his car and makes his way out of his apartment complex.

\--/--/--

“Tell me again why we’re all out for coffee when approximately none of us actually drink coffee?” Arin eyes the drinks that are listed on the menu in front of them as they meander to get in line, and Nate shrugs.

“Because they serve other drinks that taste way better?” He replies.

“There is also the fact that they have some insanely tasty pastries,” Dan adds, and Arin can’t help but roll his eyes.

“I mean, you’re not _wrong_. You’ve got me there,” he relents.

As the three of them slowly begin to advance in line, Arin feels… at peace with the company. He’s doubly glad for Suzy’s intervention the week before in getting him out of the house for dinner in this moment. Just managing to get by is one thing, but feeling good about going out early in the morning and being around other people is something that Arin’s missed.

“Hey Ar, do you wanna try that cheese and zucchini bread thingy with me? Nate’s not being cooperative and won’t let me have any fun.” Dan nudges Arin’s arm and brings him back from his train of thought. He glances at Nate, who only rolls his eyes.

“I never said you couldn’t get it! I’m just not splitting one with you. It sounds incredibly gross,” Nate retorts. Arin considers it for a moment as he scans the menu once again.

“Sure, why not? It might go well with the smoothie that I’m gonna get,” he says, and Dan happily laces their fingers together as they move up another spot in line.

“Perfect. I’ll be able to mooch off of both of your stuff without having to get anything big for myself,” Dan exclaims. Arin can’t help but silently find a bit of humor in how they must look right now- three grown ass men, each more than six feet tall, discussing the merits of zucchini bread and smoothies while all holding hands in line at a coffee shop.

“You’re such a freeloader,” Nate teases, and both Dan and Arin laugh.

“Yeah, but I’m also saving us money. It’s a smart move, really.”

“If you say so.”

They order their drinks and pastries (none of it being coffee) and take their seats by the windows at the front of the shop. Somehow they manage to grab a large, empty couch, so Arin rests his feet in Nate’s lap once they’re all settled.

“So, Arin.” Nate turns to Arin with eyebrows raised. “I must ask something important of you.”

“What’s up, dude? What exactly is this super important something that you must ask of me?” Arin replies.

“I need your opinion on something.” Dan’s got his phone out, presumably to check for any potential messages, but he’s glancing up curiously from his screen at Nate’s grave tone.

“...Yes? What thing do you need my opinion on that you’re going to stop stalling for?” Arin asks, and he’s becoming suspicious now.

“So you and Suzy have joint partnership over Mimi and Mochi. Which means that you own pets. With fur. Lots and lots of fur.”

“Nate, I have a pretty good idea as to where you’re going with this, and I have to say now that if you don’t hurry up and get on with it, I’m taking the studio tonight,” Dan interjects, and Nate rolls his eyes.

“Okay, okay, _f_ _ine!_ No need to lay on the threats like that,” he grouses. “So my question is this: Should pets with lots of fur be able to lounge on the couches and bed as they so please?”

“That’s the super important question you had to ask me?” Arin laughs, and he shakes his head. “You guys are terrible.”

“I just want your opinion on it, man,” Nate says. “Because both Dan and I have mostly dark clothing in our wardrobes, so you can _see_ all of the fur sticking to us whenever we go out. Jovi and Peanut are constantly shedding like nobody’s business.”

“That is true,” Dan agrees. “The very air in our house seems to be riddled with fur.”

“I mean, it just sounds like you guys need to brush them more often and invest in some lint rollers,” Arin shrugs. “It’s what Suze and I do. If they want to cuddle on the couches and bed, I say let them. Gives you a good reason to wash those nasty sheets of yours more often if you’re looking to get rid of all that fur.”

“Our sheets aren’t _nasty_ ,” Dan protests. “They just happen to get the occasional food stain on them, but otherwise they’re fine!”

“I’ve decided to shift my focus, actually,” Nate says. “Danny, we need to stop eating in bed.”

“What?! No we don’t! It’s comfortable and convenient!” Arin rolls his eyes as the two begin to bicker over the downfalls of having bagel crumbs in their bed when a barista calls out the names for their orders, and he removes his legs from Nate’s lap with a grunt.

“While you two settle this very pressing issue, I’m gonna get our stuff. Don’t kill each other while I’m gone.”

“No promises!” Arin rolls his eyes as he makes his way to the counter, and he has to stop short when he feels his phone buzz in his pocket. He can’t really pull it out to check right now, what with a drink carrier and bag of pastries occupying his hands at the moment. He sets down the drinks and pastries in front of Dan and Nate, both of whom immediately lunge forward to grab their drinks with enthusiastic thanks.

“Are you sure you don’t want to try any of the zucchini bread, babe?” Dan asks as he removes the pastry from its bag. Nate makes a Face, but he reluctantly holds a hand out to accept a piece of the bread nonetheless. Arin takes a moment to fish his phone from his pocket as he takes a sip of his smoothie (some kind of strawberry mango concoction- it’s actually pretty good) to check the notification he’d gotten as Dan and Nate immediately begin to bicker again.

And Arin’s attention is promptly piqued by a lone email sitting in his inbox.

Arin must have made some sort of funny face, because Dan gets distracted from his “argument” to glance curiously at him.

“Whatcha readin’ over there, Big Cat?” He asks.

“Don’t try and get away from this, Danny,” Nate warns. “I’ve dealt with too many instances of peanut butter living on the nightstand for three days because _you_ couldn’t be bothered to put it back!”

“I _forget_ , okay? I’m sorry! I’ll put the peanut butter away next time!”

“There isn’t going to be a next time! We’re not eating in bed anymore!”

“ARIN, what are you reading on your phone?” Dan turns his full attention to Arin now, who laughs at the ridiculous display.

“Jesus, Dan, calm yourself! It’s just an email! I haven’t even opened it yet!”

“Well, hurry it up, Hanson! We haven’t got all day!” Arin swats at Dan as he leans into Arin’s space with a laugh, and he gets to opening the email.

**To: ahans87**

**Subject: Gameoverse**

“You have a boring email address,” Dan mutters.

“Can you please let me read this thing? It’s my _work_ email, dingus. I’m not gonna give a potential client a way to contact me and be like ‘Feel free to email me anytime at _bigdickasaurus_ at Gmail dot com.” Arin retorts, and both Dan and Nate are laughing at that.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Dan says easily. “I’m not usually this nosy or judgy, I promise.”

“That’s because you’re avoiding the _discussion_ we were having, Daniel,” Nate grouses.

“Maybe so. _Anyway_.” Dan nudges Arin’s shoulder, and Arin almost doesn’t notice the movement as he looks up from his phone screen. “What’s the email say? Is it someone trying to seduce you through your work email?”

“God, I hope so,” Arin replies. “Maybe it’s that waiter from the sushi restaurant.”

“Fingers crossed!” Nate exclaims.

“Okay, let’s see…” Arin scans over the message, not bothering to read it out to Dan and Nate, and his eyebrows raise as he does. “It’s a job offer.”

“A job offer?” Nate asks. “What for?”

“An independent comic series. The guy wants to… he wants to meet with me and shit about hiring me as a permanent member of his team?” Arin’s eyebrows risk disappearing into his hairline at this point, and he can do nothing but stare at his screen.

“Woah, are you fucking serious? That’s awesome!” Dan says. “That sure came out of the blue. How does this guy even know you?”

“I dunno,” Arin shrugs. “Maybe through word of mouth or something.” He takes a moment to sip at his smoothie, and Dan’s excitedly nudging at his arm again.

“So, what are you gonna do? This could be a really good opportunity if this guy’s legit.”

“I’m not sure yet,” Arin says slowly. “I’ll probably mull it over and shoot him a response later so we can see about meeting up, depending on how far away he lives.”

“Sounds good to me,” Nate says, and Dan hums in agreement as he sinks back into the couch, curling himself into Nate’s side as he tucks a strand of curls behind his ear.

“Now, are you gonna finish off the zucchini bread, or can I? I’ve been eyeballing that thing for awhile now,” Dan says. Arin grins as he leans forward to grab the pastry from the table. In a moment of Genius, he decides to shove the whole thing in his mouth.

“Arin, that’s one of the nastiest fucking things I’ve seen,” Nate groans. “And I’ve had to clean up dog puke before.” Arin merely shrugs as he chews the chunk of bread, and he washes it down with another swig of smoothie.

“That shit was absolutely delectable, though,” Arin replies.

The bread really _was_ delectable, in all honesty. So was the smoothie. Maybe Arin should start treating himself in the morning more often.

\--/--/--

“That was a nice breakfast,” Arin says as they leave the coffee shop. “Thanks for inviting me out with you guys. It feels nice to be out of the house on a day like this.”

“Tell me about it,” Nate sighs with a hefty yawn. “The sun is shining, there’s a nice breeze out, it’s not even eight yet… perfect time to be awake.”

“Nobody told you to wake us up this early,” Dan grouses, but at the very least he looks more awake than Nate does. “I was all for the extra hour of sleep, but _you_ insisted on getting us up at the ass-crack of dawn.”

“Eight in the morning is hardly the ass-crack of dawn,” Arin points out. “Just because you’re used to sleeping in so late doesn’t make the rest of us crazy.”

“That’s what I said!” Nate exclaims. “Besides, we’re going to the gym before splitting off for work. It’s all about staying healthy, Daniel.”

“Aw man, we should all start working out together,” Arin says excitedly. “I’ve been slacking for the past couple of weeks, but I want to try and get back in the swing of things now that I’m riding a high again. I think it’ll really help.”

“Feel free to join us if you want, bro. Pumping iron together is a pastime that real bros do, right?” Dan groans as he makes to get the hair tie on his wrist and gather his mess of curls into a ponytail.

“I hate both of you. All you want to do is make me suffer.”

“It’s not like we all haven’t been to the gym together before,” Arin laughs. “You’re just cranky because it’s still early.”

“Don’t call me out like this,” Dan says. “Let me be unreasonably cranky in peace.”

“Stop being so over dramatic,” Nate admonishes.

“I’m only being moderately over dramatic,” Dan corrects. “I’ll be fine in an hour or two. I just need a little more time to wake up fully.”

“Have fun with that.” Arin gives Dan and Nate a quick hug each and takes his keys out from his pocket, fiddling with them in one hand. “I think I’m gonna go work on another portrait for a bit, maybe go out for a simple lunch after. See you guys later?”

“See you later, bud,” Dan smiles, and Arin gives them one final wave before beginning the walk to his car.

It takes a few moments for Arin to realize that he’s whistling along the way.

\--/--/--

The drive back involves Arin putting one of his more upbeat playlists on Spotify, and he’s tapping on the steering wheel and singing along to the tunes with a refreshing amount of enthusiasm. _This_ is the kind of energy that Arin absolutely loves; he doesn’t get to experience it very much, or at least to the degree and consistency that he would like, but it always fills him with an overpowering sense of _peace_ whenever he does.

It’s still early, so Arin has the whole rest of the day ahead of him. He has plenty of time to do things. Plenty of time to get a head start on new things. Plenty of time to feel _good_ about the day.

Today _is_ a good day.

\--/--/--

Suzy’s playing with Mochi and Mimi in front of the TV when Arin gets home.

“Fancy meeting you here, stranger,” Suzy greets with a smile.

“Morning, Suze. You didn’t tell me it was my turn with the girls already,” Arin says as he steps inside. Suzy’s making a kissy face at Mimi while Arin tosses his keys and wallet down, and she smiles at him when he throws himself onto the floor next to her.

“I wanted it to be a surprise! Look at how happy they are to be visiting their daddy!” Suzy coos, and Arin chuckles as Mochi ambles over to where Arin is laying and rubs against his side. He scratches behind her ears for a moment and enjoys the content expression on her little face as she almost immediately begins to purr.

“Aw, they’re so happy! And _I’m_ happy to see my girls!” Arin gives Mochi a couple of butt pats, and she proceeds to plop down onto her side against his leg.

“What sorts of shenanigans did you get into this morning?” Suzy asks.

“Tried out some zucchini and cheese bread with Dan and Nate at the coffee shop downtown,” Arin replies cheerfully.

“Oh, that sounds good! How was it?”

“That shit was delicious. I got some kind of strawberry mango smoothie to wash it down, and let me tell you, I’ve never felt so good after having breakfast,” Arin gushes, and Suzy laughs.

“You’ll have to take me there sometime,” she says. “I could always go for some nice pastry and smoothie action.”

“We’ll make a morning out of it, then. I’m all for going back and trying out some of their other stuff. Oh!” Arin sits up suddenly, and Mochi rolls over to get away from the movement. “I almost forgot that I wanted to tell you about an email that I got while we were out.”

“What kind of email was it? For work?” Suzy asks as she absently pets Mimi. Mochi has apparently decided that she’s had her fill of snuggles for the time being, and she flicks her tail against Arin’s hip as she makes her way to the kitchen.

“Kind of,” Arin says. “It was a job offer.” Suzy’s eyes widen, and she claps her hands together in surprise. The noise startles Mimi, who decides to run off and join Mochi in the kitchen.

“Like, a job offer as in a permanent position somewhere?” She squeals, and Arin nods. She leans forward to pull Arin into a hug, and she’s laughing. “Arin, that’s amazing! I’m so happy for you!”

“Thanks! I’m really happy about it too,” Arin says as he rubs her back. When they part, Suzy is absolutely beaming.

“Are you going to take it? What’s the position for? Do you know whoever gave you the offer?” Then Suzy’s rapidly firing off question after question, and Arin has to raise his hands with a laugh.

“Woah there, girlie, slow your roll for a second. I haven’t even responded to the email yet. It said something about joining the team for an independent comic series, but I don’t really know anything about the guy. He mentioned trying to meet up so we can talk details.”

“Well, get on it, then!” Suzy exclaims. “This could be a really good opportunity for you. It’s definitely worth checking out.”

“You’re probably right,” Arin says.

“As I tend to be.” Arin snorts and nudges his shoulder into Suzy’s side, and she giggles as she sways in place at the jostling.

“Enough about me, though,” Arin says. “Got any exciting developments going on in your life right now? Any super awesome adventures planned for today?”

“I’m meeting up with Barry and Brian for lunch today,” Suzy replies. “It’s been awhile since they’ve had enough free time to hang out, so it’s exciting to see them again.”

“Oh, that’s awesome!” Arin exclaims. “Tell them I said hi, yeah?”

“Are you sure you don’t want to join us? I’m sure they’d be glad to see you too.”

“I kind of wanted to get a head start on a couple of portraits that I have lined up,” Arin says. “I’ve got the whole day ahead of me, so I plan on making the best of it.” Suzy’s smiling, but she shakes her head with a sigh.

“You just don’t let up, do you? Have to stay moving, even when you _could_ be taking a much needed off-day to hang out with your friends.”

“I promise I’ll join next time we all hang out,” Arin relents.

“Good. Having social interaction every once in a while is all I’m asking of you,” Suzy murmurs.

“Ask and ye shall receive.” Suzy is suddenly checking the time on her phone, and she jumps to her feet with a little huff.

“I didn’t even notice the time. I wanted to get a bit of cleaning in before I went out to lunch, and I know I’m going to be all sweaty and gross afterwards,” she says.

“Go clean, then,” Arin laughs, and he rises along with her to walk her to the door. “Don’t let me keep you from your responsibilities.”

“Alright, alright, I’m going.” Once they’re at the door, Suzy gives Arin a tight hug. “I’ll see you later, Arin.”

“See you later, Suze,” Arin replies, and he waves after her as she leaves before closing the door. The cats have decided to make their way back into the living room when he turns back around, and he smiles at them before going to plop himself at his desk.

Just as he’s about to slide over his sketchbook to start on a new portrait, he stops for a moment to eye his laptop in the corner.

Might as well respond to that email sooner rather than later, right?


	3. Chapter 3

**To: rubberninja**

**Subject: re: Gameoverse**

**Hey, thanks so much for this offer. It means a lot that you think my work is worth adding to your team. It would be awesome to schedule a meet up so we can discuss things in person as soon as you’re available.**

****-AJH** **

The guy’s email is actually kind of funny. A little surprising for what Arin assumes to be a work handle, but amusing nonetheless. He silently hopes that that sense of humor extends beyond just the email.

The rest of the day is spent starting three new portraits, reorganizing the library, taking a trip to the laundromat, and spending some quality time with Mimi and Mochi. Overall, it’s a fairly productive day, and Arin feels refreshed and satisfied when he sets to making himself dinner after everything is said and done.

Arin is able to fall asleep easily that night- he settles underneath his covers after putting on his nose strip, Mimi and Mochi curled up comfortably on the other side of the bed as he drifts off feeling nothing but peace.

\--/--/--

Arin gets a response to his email two days later.

He assumes that the guy is busy, and he’s not really in any kind of rush, so it’s not bothersome to wait for a response. Within that period, though, he’s able to finish two commissions and meet up with Dan and Nate for a morning workout. His arms and legs are moderately sore, and he was sweaty as all hell afterwards, but otherwise he’s feeling good.

When he boots up his laptop that morning and sees the message sitting in his inbox, Arin can’t help but feel a little excited.

**To: ahans87**

**Subject: re: re: Gameoverse**

**I saw your website and saw that you were based in Glendale- I happen to live in the same area. How does meeting for lunch next Friday sound? We can get to know each other and discuss more details then.**

****-Ross O.** **

Arin’s vaguely surprised at how easy and casual the emails are- they’re a bit short, almost as if they were just texting. He isn’t getting any bad vibes from Ross, though, so he figures it’s worth a shot to take the plunge.

When Arin gets his next response, he’s given a time and place to meet up and a way for him to recognize Ross once he gets there.

Seems like he’s actually doing this, then.

He’s got nothing to lose just by meeting the guy, right?

\--/--/--

“So how’s that job offer coming along?” Arin looks away from his TV screen for a moment at Suzy’s question.

“Are you legitimately asking me, or is this a ploy to distract me from the race?” He retorts. Suzy rolls her eyes as Arin physically leans into his next turn, and Dan laughs. The two had had the free time to come over for the day, and after a hearty lunch, they’d all decided to play some good old Mario Kart to nullify the friendly bonding time they’d just established.

“I’m legitimately asking you, dingus,” Suzy replies. “I don’t have to distract you from the race to catch up anyways.”

“Oh yeah, I was gonna ask you about that too,” Dan pipes up from the floor, and he groans in frustration as he runs into a wall and loses his place. “It’s been about a week or so since you got that first email, right?”

“Yeah, somewhere around there,” Arin replies. “He’s been a little busy, but we’re planning to meet up in a few days to talk business.”

“Ooh, how exciting,” Suzy says. She cheers as a red shell hits the driver in front of her, and she’s starting to gain up on Arin now, who’s been sitting comfortably in 3rd place for most of the race so far. “Does that mean you’re leaning towards taking him up on the offer?”

“I don’t know yet. Maybe.”

“I’m happy for you though, dude,” Dan says. “I know you didn’t say much about it while we were out, but I have a feeling that this is gonna be good for you if you take it.”

“One can only hope,” Arin replies. “I won’t know more about the position until I meet him, though. I’m trying not to get my hopes up too much.”

“That's smart,” Dan allows. “We might be acting a little too enthusiastically because of how much we want this to work out for you.”

“How incredibly insightful and kind of you, Daniel!” Arin says, with some surprise. “Do you really mean it?”

“Don’t ruin the moment, man,” Dan laughs. “Of course I mean it. I’m trying to be supportive here.”

“We both want things to go well for you,” Suzy adds. “What kind of super awesome friends would we be if we weren’t supportive of your artistic and career-related endeavors?”

“You both treat me so well,” Arin says, and he means it. The tone is playful, almost nonchalant, but both Dan and Suzy know him well enough to pick up on the underlying sincerity.

“Aw man, you said you were meeting up with him in a couple of days, right?” Dan asks suddenly.

“Yeah, we’re meeting up for lunch on Friday. Why?”

“I was gonna ask if you and Suze wanted to have lunch with Nate and I on Friday. We’re going with a friend of Nate’s, so it would’ve been nice for you guys to meet her.” They’re just about at the last lap of their race, and Suzy still hasn’t caught up with Arin, but Dan’s regathered his bearings and steadily climbed back into his earlier place. There’s a moment of quiet as they get wrapped in the game again.

“Just because I’m going to be busy doesn’t mean that Suze still can’t go with you guys,” Arin eventually points out.

“That is true,” Suzy agrees. “I’m definitely free for lunch on Friday.”

“Sweet!” Dan’s enthusiasm for their plans doesn’t quite translate to his success in the race, though, and in his moment of vulnerability he loses his place once again just as he crosses the finish line. “Damnit!” Both Arin and Suzy laugh, and Arin leans over the coffee table to ruffle Dan’s curls.

“Better luck next time, Curly Cue,” Arin says.

“Fuck you, Arin. Let’s race again.”

\--/--/--

Arin’s fucking _nervous_ when Friday finally rolls around.

He’d exchanged a few more emails with Ross after agreeing to the lunch- not much more than picking out a time and place to meet up, but Arin still feels a kind of weight that rests heavily on his shoulders at the underlying goal for the arrangement.

This is _technically_ an interview of sorts for a job offer. A permanent job offer.

...This is a very big deal. Oh god.

Arin tries not to let his thoughts fall into that notorious downward spiral of anxiety-fueled thoughts that will ultimately do more harm than good as he gets ready.

“Okay, Hanson,” Arin mutters to himself. “This is important. Make a good first impression. Hanson Pantson time. Let’s go.” His Set For Success outfit for today is merely one of his simpler tops- a black and white long sleeve shirt he rolled up with a Dragon Ball design on the front- and a pair of dark jeans, but he _does_ feel a little better once the ensemble is put together. A quick glance at the mirror in his bathroom leads Arin to tie his hair up in a ponytail, and he even decides to trim and shape his beard a little bit just for good measure. It’s not _fancy_ , by any means, but it’s a nice look, so before he can second guess himself, he’s already grabbing his wallet and keys and heading out the door.

Putting on a more quiet playlist on the drive over to the restaurant he’s meeting Ross at helps put Arin at ease- it’s slow enough for him to match his breathing to, because Lord knows that having a completely avoidable panic attack in the middle of an interview with someone you just met would be bound to make things… awkward, to say the least. Then he’s going through a quick mental exercise he’d picked up for the days where his anxiety decided to be particularly annoying.

Identify the anxious thoughts.

_What if he blows this? What if he and Ross don’t get along? What if Ross deems the whole thing to be a waste of time? What if spits on Ross while he’s talking on accident?_

Take each individual thought and deconstruct it. Rationalize it so it seems less imposing.

_There are no definitive expectations here. He’s just meeting with Ross for the first time to get to know each other better. He's not a terrible person if they don’t get along right away. Not everyone has a natural chemistry with one another. If he spits on Ross while he’s talking he can apologize and make sure not to do it again._

Breathe.

By the time Arin pulls up to the restaurant, he’s feeling okay again.

A quick glance at his phone shows him that he’s arrived at the right place, and he begins scanning the sparse throng of faces sitting outside for Ross.

“Okay, so he said he’d be wearing, uh… jeans and a pink shirt,” Arin mumbles to himself, and just as he’s about to finish his once-over, he spots a guy sitting at one of the tables by himself. Arin assumes that it’s Ross- he matches the somewhat vague description that Arin had been given, so he begins to approach the table.

Arin’s not sure if he should try and get the guy’s attention, but just as he’s about to open his mouth and say something, the guy looks up, as if sensing Arin’s presence, and Arin can almost feel the air leaving his lungs.

The guy is _attractive_ \- attractive in a way that leaves Arin feeling more fascinated than intimidated now that they’re face to face. Then his face is lighting up as he makes eye contact with Arin, and oh my _god_ his eyes are _really_ fucking blue- the kind of blue that makes Arin think of ice, sharp and cool and _bright_ in a way that pins him down with their weight.

“Hey, man,” the guy greets as he rises from his chair. “You’re Arin, right? Ross. Nice to meet ya.” The guy- Ross, apparently- is shorter than Arin, maybe coming up to the bottom of his chin, but Arin feels oddly small in this moment. It’s not even because he’s intimidated- if anything, Ross gives off the most _casual_ vibes he’s ever experienced in another human being besides Dan, and _that’s_ saying something.

Arin can’t bring himself to respond right away as Ross holds out his hand, so he simply settles on nodding and giving him a firm handshake.

“Yeah, that’s me,” Arin eventually manages, and then he’s turning away to sneeze so loudly he’s sure that he’s scared off the pigeons that are peddling around underneath the tables. Ross laughs just as Arin’s wiping away the tears that had gathered in his eyes from the force of the sneeze, so he assumes that he _had_ scared at least one of the birds after all.

“Woah, bless you,” Ross chuckles. “That was one hell of a sneeze. Wanna sit?” He gestures back to the table that he’d been sitting at before, and Arin nods.

“Oh! Yeah, totally.” Ross takes a moment to rush over to the other side of the table and pull Arin’s chair out for him, and Arin immediately feels his cheeks begin to warm up at the gesture.

“Oh my, what a gentleman,” Arin croons, and Ross laughs again as he takes his own seat.

“What can I say? I know how to treat a man nice and sweet.” He pairs this with a waggle of his eyebrows, and Arin can’t help but laugh in turn. “Are you hungry at all? We can get some lunch while we’re here if you want.”

“Now that you mention it, I’m fucking _starving_ ,” Arin replies, and just as he says so, a waitress seems to materialize out of nowhere with a pair of menus and a tired Customer Service smile.

Does _every_ waiter have this mysterious teleporting ability or something?

“Hey there, sorry about the wait. Your friend here said he was waiting for someone, so I held off on dropping off any menus.” She plops the menus down in front of them, and Arin can’t keep himself from snatching his up and immediately scanning it over. “Can I get you guys started with anything to drink?” So Arin and Ross order their drinks, and the waitress whisks herself away so quickly that Arin wonders if she simply vanished from existence.

“So, Arin. I have some very important questions to ask you.” Ross has tucked his chin atop his hands, elbows resting on the table as he levels Arin with a raised eyebrow.

Arin notices idly that he can hear the slightest twinge of an accent dripping off the ends of Ross’s words as he talks- it sounds nice.

“Ask away, captain,” Arin replies, and Ross grins at him, all teeth and impish playfulness.

“So I know that I was the one who reached out to you about this job, but why exactly are you interested in taking it up?” Ross asks, and Arin shrugs.

“Your email caught my eye, and my curiosity was piqued, I suppose. You said the comic was called Gameoverse?”

“Yeah! I know I was a little vague when I sent that first email, but everything’s still in its early stages right now,” Ross says as he leans back in his chair. “The team’s pretty small, but we have a good start on drafting and concepts.” Arin is about to reply when the waitress comes back with their drinks, and she sets them down with a flourish.

“Alrighty, guys, are we ready to order?” she asks, and Arin realizes that he hadn’t touched his menu since sitting down. Ross looks a little embarrassed himself as he picks up his menu, and Arin quickly scans over the items before picking something at random. It seems as though Ross decides to do the same, and the waitress whisks away their menu and is gone again in a flash.

Arin should really get better at looking at the menu when he’s going out to eat.

“So how big is the team exactly?” Arin asks. A slight itch has him turning away to scratch at his nose as he stems off another sneeze, and Ross is looking amused now.

“It’s sitting at around a dozen people right now,” he replies. “We’re all working on the writing and mostly have character sheets squared away, but we need a couple more people for cleanup and backgrounds.”

“Oh, uh…” Arin grimaces a bit and takes a long sip from his drink to try and hide it. “I’m not exactly the best at backgrounds, if that’s what you specifically wanted me to help out with. Like… I can _do_ them, they’re just not my forte.”

“That’s no problem, dude,” Ross waves a dismissive hand. “I’ve seen a lot of your work. If you would rather not work with backgrounds, then I’d _love_ it if you could help out with character sheets and designs. I really dig your aesthetic.”

“You trying to butter me up a bit here?” Arin teases, and Ross rolls his eyes.

“Not if it’s gonna give you a big head, I’m not,” he retorts.

“Who said anything about getting a big head? There’s nothing wrong with basking in a bit of praise every now and then.” Ross actually laughs this time, and Arin’s chest does this funny little Flippy thing because the sound is light and airy, has this cadence to it that makes it almost musical.

“I like you, Arin,” Ross says as his laughter dies down. “It might be a little weird to say since we’ve just met, but you give off really good vibes. Good gut feeling and all that jazz.”

Arin appreciates Ross’s bluntness, in this moment. He knows how Ross feels about him- knows that he’s given off a good first impression so far.

“Glad to hear it, man,” Arin replies, and he feels perfectly at ease. “I could say the same about you. This is already pretty nice so far.”

\--/--/--

Arin’s not sure how long he spends at the restaurant with Ross talking about both Gameoverse and absolutely nothing in particular while they pick away at their food. It all seems to pass by in a blur- making jokes, learning about common interests (turns out Ross also _really_ likes Dragon Ball, so there was a topic of discussion there specifically), staring at Ross more than he probably should have the whole time.

It’s been awhile since he’s become so infatuated with someone so quickly, he supposes.

“Ah, sorry, man, I have somewhere that I need to be soon,” Ross had said with a glance at his watch. “I completely lost track of time there.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m glad we were able to meet up today.”

“So am I. You’re really cool, you know that?”

Ross had given him a smile- small and warm, and Arin had felt that little Flip in his chest again, at just that small gesture.

“Uh, I… I suppose not. You’re really cool, too.” Ross had given him a firm handshake and another warm smile as they parted, promises that they should go out together again sometime, and it isn’t until Arin’s climbing back into his own car that Ross had never even asked about whether he was going to take the position or not.

He can’t fault Ross for that, though- the thought had completely slipped his mind as well, too caught up in talking to Ross and simply being able to admire the splendor that was seated in front of him.

Arin’s not worried, though- he’s pretty sure that he’s made up his mind already.

**Author's Note:**

> You can hop on over to check out the lovely art that was made for this fic here (go show them some love! They definitely deserve it):
> 
> \- http://medibooty.tumblr.com/post/176428281342/my-art-piece-for-this-years-game-grumps-big-bang  
> \- http://acemastershady.tumblr.com/post/176419106798/heres-my-submission-for-the-game-grumps-big-bash
> 
> And as always, you can drop by to say hi to me on Tumblr at aciid--heart, or you can drop a short ficlet request at dannyficbang!


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